Consuming and communicating God's Word

 Read Revelation 10.

The Bible refers to this period of earthly judgments as the Great Tribulation.  It starts in chapter 6, when Jesus will begin unsealing God's judicial document.  At no time has the world seen such devastation as described here.  The events remain in the future.

Seven trumpets will each take turns announcing the next judgment.  The first part of chapter 10 continues the 6th trumpet's call for earthly punishment upon those who have rejected Jesus.

Another Mighty Angel-(vv.1-7)
The Apostle John sees a powerful angel standing on earth with one foot on land and the other in the sea.  He has "a little scroll" (not to be confused with the large scroll in the hand of Jesus).  This is more of a booklet and it is already opened.  The angel made a sound like the roar of a lion and 7 thunderous voices responded.  Each of these voices had a message to deliver but John is prohibited from writing down what they said.  This is the opposite of John's assigned task to record what he saw (1:19).

The angel raised his right hand, as if to take a solemn oath.  The oath is based upon the fact that God is eternal and the Creator (not merely the initiator) of all things.  He swears that the waiting time is over and there will be no more delay.  Like solving any good mystery, one must put together the clues to the puzzle provided over time.  The Old Testament Prophets wrote of things they did not fully understand concerning the Messiah and future events.  But when Jesus appeared, the mystery began to make sense more than ever.

"....to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:2-3)  In other words, the more we know Jesus and the Scriptures the more we will understand what God has done, is doing, and will do.  Ignoring God and His word leaves people to make up their own "plausible arguments" (Colossians 2:4).

Eating the Little Scroll-(vv.8-11)
John is told to consume the written message of this judgment to come. Then, he is to communicate it to people throughout the world.  Such a figure of speech is used several times in the Bible.  See Psalm 19:9-10, Jeremiah 15:16, Ezekiel 3:1-3.  The truth of the Scriptures is sweet to believers, but to unbelievers it may be bitter and rejected.  The task of writing this prophecy for the entire world to read fulfills verse 11 for John.

It the responsibility of Bible preachers, teachers, and all believers to communicate the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) and not just our favorite hot topics.  Sadly, most churches never address prophetic subjects, coming judgments, or present this last book of God's word.  Little wonder there is such a lack of the fear of God in our culture.  Yet, it is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).